Culture is one of those commonly used words that conjures up different meanings for different people. Many think of culture as visible expressions such as art, dance and food of a particular group. Others will point to traditions, values, beliefs. We define organizational culture as the unwritten rules of the “way it is around here”. The definition that I like is the shared behavioral interpretation of how a group lives out its values in order to survive and thrive. It is important to understand that about only 10% of a culture is visible. The other 90% is hidden and often unconscious.
Defining what we mean by “group” is key in trying to define culture. For example is there such a thing as a black or African American culture? Does a Latino culture really exist? Is there a techie culture? What about a Midwest culture? When we start to define a group by its shared values and beliefs, we can easily go down a rabbit hole because no culture is monolithic. We will find that significant variations exist from group to group based on ethnicity, region, and age. There are cultures within cultures making a strict definition even more difficult.
“Shared behavioral interpretation” is the most important phrase in the definition of culture. Let’s take hip-hop culture as an example. I found what I think is a compelling definition that encompasses not only the visible manifestation of hip-hop culture but the invisible meaning as well.
“Hip Hop Culture is commonly recognized by its main elements: Graffiti, Djing, Breakdancing (B-boying), Mcing (Rapping) and Beatboxing. However, these elements are simply forms of art designed to express a deeper meaning. At its core, Hip Hop is so much more than mere art and entertainment. Hip Hop is the constantly evolving spirit and consciousness of urban youth that keeps recreating itself in a never-ending cycle. It is joy, sorrow, pleasure, pain, victory, defeat, anger, happiness, confusion, clarity, humor, intensity, dream, nightmare, life, death and everything else in between. It is the spirit that connects the past to the present and lays a path towards the future.”
What this definition helps me to understand about culture in general is that unless you are a part of the culture you really can’t completely understand it. Cultures are complex, nuanced and ever-evolving.
